This school year, amongst the many goals in a school day, we know teachers are working hard to help accelerate their students in reading. And one of our goals is to provide you with high leverage instructional moves for your classroom and especially your small group instructional time. There’s a big buzz around decodable…
Over the past 15 months we have been stretched and learned more than we ever thought possible, especially in light of the digital tools we are now using. Yet, as the new school year approaches, we are reflecting on which of these digital tools will actually stay with us as we move forward into our…
It’s been a long year full of tremendous twists and turns, and yet, this school year is ending and students and educators are looking forward to summer vacation. It can be very tempting to look ahead, make a bucket list of the activities for summer, add to your TBR (to be read) list, and think…
If you are reading this blog, chances are you are a literacy coach, reading specialist or elementary teacher who has strong beliefs about readers workshop and balanced literacy. And in light of all of the podcasts, blogs, articles about the science of reading, you might be wrestling with some of the instructional practices that have…
Are you a pre-service teacher who is looking for support as you are preparing for the Foundations of Reading test? Jennifer Yaeger has decades of experience helping countless participants take and pass the test. With her experience as a classroom teacher, reading specialist and literacy coach as well as her breadth and depth of content…
If you are a teacher, you know the power of a great read aloud in your classroom. You have those beloved books that you go back to year after year, because they provoke strong emotions and meaningful conversations with your students. Those books help you teach multiple strategies and best of all, model for students…
Virtual Institute for Reading Specialists Looking for opportunities to collaborate with other Reading Specialists across the country? Reimagining ways to strategically accelerate student achievement because of lost reading and writing time? Hoping to learn and try out new ways to assess and deliver reading and writing instruction remotely? Interested in finding ways to collaborate with…
As teachers work creatively to consider adaptations to many of the face-to-face classroom experiences that we value so much, we’d like to share one classroom experience that lends itself naturally to remote teaching and learning: Book Clubs! Below you will find a series of tips for organizing remote student book clubs that support student engagement,…
As secondary educators and parents, there are a number of questions on our mind as we seek to find creative, relevant and authentic learning experiences for adolescents throughout school closures. How are teens making meaning of their lives during the pandemic? What is capturing their attention and how are they responding to this dramatic shift…
This is a unique time of year to pause and reflect on what we are grateful for. With time scarcity and many competing priorities as educators, we don’t want to forsake the practice of gratitude. In fact, the act of giving thanks changes our brains and makes us happier, healthier people which in turn helps…